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PHILADELPHIA LIFE
DECEMBER 2013
D PROFILE
They say if you want some-
thing done, give it to a busy
person to do. It seems that those
who are the most accomplished get
that way by tackling every need they
see. Mike and Cindy Silver can relate.
Despite being heavily involved with
their family, community and profes-
sional and charitable organizations,
they are committed to being person-
ally involved with each client repre-
sented by their Ardmore-based law
firm, Silver & Silver. The firm handles
cases involving Social Security disabil-
ity, personal injury, employment law,
long-term disability, workers compen-
sation and more.
We treat our clients like family,
says Cindy, who, when negotiating a
case will ask herself, Would I be
proud to present this resolution to one
of my own family members? The
firms employees are like family, too,
some of whom have been with Silver
& Silver since the firm was founded
more than 30 years agoshortly af-
ter Mike and Cindy were married.
Mike, a graduate of Rutgers Law
School, began working in the field of
Social Security disability several years
before the firms founding, when a co-
worker asked him to take over two
hearings he had scheduled. Mike
Through their casework with
clients and in service to others,
the attorneys of Silver & Silver
strive to make a daily difference
in other peoples lives
by SHARON A. SHAW
photography by JODY ROBINSON
Cindy and Mike Silver
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enjoyed working with the clientselderly men suf-
fering from serious health problemsand won
both cases. After that initial success, Mike became
responsible for all of the labor law firms disabili-
ty cases.
When I was younger, I didnt know whether
to go into medicine or law, says Mike, who grew
up with a hardworking father and a mother who
suffered from illness. Now I consider myself an
economic doctor; I can help cure clients financial
concerns. The settlements Silver & Silver win for
clients help assure that these victims have the re-
sources to afford adequate health care and hous-
ing, and provide financial security for their families.
When Mike started the firm, Cindy, who earned
her J.D. from the Villanova School of Law, was work-
ing for an insurance company, where she gained her
broad experience and knowledge of insurance law.
She joined the firm as an attorney six years later to
represent victims in personal-injury cases.
Although the elderly, ill or those who had phys-
ical jobs they can no longer perform may be the
most common disability clients, accidents can hap-
pen to anyone. We have represented the poor and
indigent but also doctors, lawyers and corporate
leaderseven an architect who had been knight-
ed by the Queen, Mike says. In the past five years,
however, the federal governments standards for
approving Social Security disability have become
much stricter. In 2008, for example, 68 percent of
cases nationally received approval, compared to
approximately 40 percent these days. Our success
rate is more than double that, he says. And we
have won almost every federal case this year when
we appealed a decision against one of our clients.
Larry Weinstein, a partner at Silver & Silver who
previously worked for the Social Security Admin-
istration, joined the firm out of a desire to help oth-
ers. Many clients find it difficult to care for their health,
manage their finances and represent themselves in
an application for disability. Weinstein advises
that, after seeking treatment to document and treat
the disabling conditions, they hire a skilled attorney.
Let your physician know not only that you were
in an accident, but how it functionally affects you.
Judges wont take the word of an applicant alone;
you need supportive documentation.
Joe Schwartz, a Silver & Silver trial attorney, sees
his job as helping his clients make the best of a bad
situation. The insurance companies have the funds
and influence to tilt the system in their favor, he
says. Without a skilled attorney, the average per-
son can easily be overwhelmed. He also repre-
sents employees who have been unfairly fired or
denied unemployment or workers compensation
benefits.
Rita Bonner has been practicing disability and
veterans law since 2007. Before law school, she
was a crisis counselor and coordinator of a
victim/witness program. She is a compassionate
advocate for the disabled and disadvantaged.
Silver & Silvers experience in multiple fields
offers an edge to injured clients in situations
where concurrent claims may be viable. In one
such case, a client was injured on a dangerous stair-
case in the course of employment. Because of the
seriousness of the injury, the client was awarded
a seven-figure verdict, but was also entitled to work-
ers compensation, Social Security disability and pri-
vate long-term disability. We can coordinate all of
these benefits because of our experience in all four
fields, Cindy says. After over 30 years of establish-
ing relationships with insurance adjusters and their
counsel, they know I negotiate fairly and that we
will not hesitate to litigate when necessary.
Silver & Silver is selective in accepting their
clients and meticulous in the preparation of their
cases. The attorneys encourage anyone who
finds himself or herself in the unfortunate position
of being unable to work due to an accident or ill-
ness to contact them and discuss their options.
There is no charge for the initial consultation, dur-
ing which the attorneys meet with each client per-
sonally to hear the facts surrounding their case.
In addition to his caseload assisting clients, Mike
has worked with professional organizations, as well
as state and federal legislators, to improve the field
of disability law. He served as Third Circuit Repre-
sentative for the National Organization of Social Se-
curity Claimants Representatives, and eventually
became president of the 4,300-lawyer group. He
has testified before the U.S. House of Representa-
tives Social Security Subcommittee, advocating for
ways to make the disability system more equitable,
and helped to improve the educational opportu-
nities for other disability attorneys by founding and
chairing the Philadelphia Bar Associations Disabil-
ity Law Committee. Mike was recognized as the
only Super Lawyer in the disability field in
Southeastern Pennsylvania from 2005 to 2013. He
is also a past chair of the Ardmore Initiative, a busi-
ness district authority responsible for physical
improvements and economic development in
downtown Ardmore, and has served as president
of the Ardmore Rotary Club.
In addition, he serves as advocacy chair for the
Arthritis Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania and
chair of its Jingle Bell Run. Mike was also elected
chair of the board, where he helped secure fund-
ing for arthritis research and treatment.
Mike says that his cases make him realize how
most of us take our good health for granted, and
why he feels fortunate to help those who face un-
expected challenges and grateful to give back. The
Silvers have passed this passion on to their three
boys, and the example they set has clearly paid off;
all three of their sons are dedicated to helping oth-
ers through their careers and personal endeavors.
Above all, Silver & Silver is committed to mak-
ing a positive difference in the lives of their clients
every day. We want our clients to feel they have
been made wholeemotionally and physically,
explains Weinstein. Disability can destroy ones
self-confidence and worth. If we can help them
get benefits, they can get the treatment and med-
ications they need and, as a result, uphold their fi-
nancial responsibilities. Once a judge recognizes
their legitimate disability, our clients feel vindicat-
ed and there is finally a positive resolution.

THE DISABILITY AND

PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM
OF SILVER & SILVER
42 W. Lancaster Ave.
Ardmore, PA 19003
610-658-1900 | 800-94-SILVER
www.silverandsilver.com
Silver & Silvers attorneys(left to right) Larry Weinstein, Rita Bonner, Mike Silver, Cindy Silver and
Joe Schwartzare committed to being personally involved with each client they represent.
PHILADELPHIA LIFE
|53 DECEMBER 2013
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Silver & Silver
office building
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